ED TECH LISTSERV

Hi Everyone,
Here is the important information regarding Educational Technology for October.

Thank you.

Technology Applications TEKS Revision

The application for writing teams for the Technology Applications TEKS will be posted soon. Join the Technology Applications listserv at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/list and get a message when it is posted. The TEA TEKS web page is found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148 . The website will have the application, instructions, and due date information. The State Board of Education’s TEKS revision process is described at this site.

Technology Applications Graduation Requirement

At the September 16, 2009 SBOE meeting, the board heard public testimony and discussed the minimum and distinguished graduation plans. HB 3 removed Technology Applications from the recommended plan. The board must decide if they will keep or remove the elective requirements - Tech Apps, Health, Speech, and one half credit of PE on the minimum and distinguished plans. On November 20, there will be first reading and filing authorization of 19 TAC Chapter 74, Subchapters E and F. The board has asked that TEA staff bring rule text to remove these 4 electives from the minimum and distinguished graduation plans. The board will discuss in November. The public comment period for Subchapter E and F is scheduled in December. Finally, January 15 is the second reading and final adoption of Subchapters E and F. This is when the board will give its final vote to leave rule text as it is, keeping the elective requirements in the minimum and distinguished plans, or change the rule text to remove these requirements. Fine Arts and one full credit of PE will remain in all of the plans. After final vote, the changes will go into effect for the 2010-2011 school year.


Announcing: State Funding Available for Texas Virtual School Network Courses for Students

During the initial implementation of the TxVSN in the 2008-2009 school year, districts paid for the online courses provided by TxVSN; however, as a part of House Bill (HB) 3646, the 81st Texas Legislature created an allotment to fund courses provided through the TxVSN.

If a student successfully completes an online course provided through the TxVSN, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will provide a payment of $400 per semester course to the district providing the course and $80 to the district in which that student is enrolled.

To be eligible for funding:

The online course must be part of the student’s normal course load and meet one of the graduation requirements. While some districts may have different schedules, the agency will be proposing a rule to define a normal course load as seven credits based on a seven period day. A separate source of funds will supply the same funding for online courses provided above a student’s normal course load.

Districts will be paid half of the $400 for initial start up costs and the remainder after the TEA receives verification from Central Operations that the courses were successfully completed. TxVSN Provider Districts are not allowed to receive this dedicated funding to serve their own students.

How does registration and enrollment work?
Each district and open enrollment charter school superintendent or designee must complete an annual agreement and a needs assessment, activate participating campuses serving students in grade 9-12, and approve the registration of TxVSN site coordinators.

After the completion of the TxVSN application process, districts and open enrollment charter schools may begin registering students for courses.

The TxVSN Course Catalog will continue to expand as additional provider courses are approved by TxVSN Course Review.

Fall registration began September 8, 2009, and spring registration is right around the corner! So start planning now with your students to take advantage of this state-funded opportunity to expand course options, meet scheduling needs, complete courses for credit recovery or accelerated instruction, and/or take college credit courses.

To assist with the planning for TxVSN online courses, contact Central Operations at 1-866-93TxVSN 1-866-93TxVSN ( 1-866-938-9876 1-866-938-9876 ) or TxVSNCentral@txvsn.org. To start the registration process, go to http://www.txvsn.org/schoolDistricts/Registration.aspx.

Students must enroll in courses through TxVSN course catalog to be eligible for the allotment funding for courses. Start planning now to ensure your students receive the courses they need through this state-led initiative for online learning!



Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant Awards

The T3 Collaborative Grant awards have been announced. $28,000,000 is available for Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant. The Texas Education Agency received over 100 grant applications. After a thorough review, the grant funding awarded 33 collaboratives, influencing 132 districts and charter schools. Grant awards range from $300,000-$1,000,000 and will begin October 1.

The purpose of the Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant is to stimulate the use of educational technology by providing schools with the necessary funding to move toward 21st century classrooms in the state of Texas. For a complete list of grant awardees, please go to http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/opge/disc/t3_arra_2009/overview0910.html.


Formula Funding
Planning amounts for the Title II, Part D ARRA program are available in the 2009-2010 NCLB Consolidated Federal ARRA/Stimulus Grant Application (SAS#NCLBST10) and may be viewed in the postings below.
The Title II, Part D ARRA funding is based on the relative amount an LEA receives for ARRA/Stimulus Title I, Part A—Targeted and Incentive funding.
The Applicant Designation and Certification (GS2230 ADC) form for school year 2009-2010 for the SAS#NCLBST10 has been placed in ‘Negotiating’ status on-line through eGrants for applicants to designate how they will apply for the Title II, Part D ARRA program: apply on own as an independent project; apply as the fiscal agent of a shared services arrangement; apply as a member of a shared services arrangement; or not apply at all. The deadline for submitting the ADC form and the SAS#NCLBST10 to include Title II, Part D ARRA is October 19, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Local education agencies (LEAs) which have an application currently in process may budget the Title II, Part D ARRA planning amount and complete the support schedules as appropriate during the negotiation process.
LEAs which have received a Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) for program(s) in the SAS#NCLBST10 must first submit the ADC then submit an amendment to budget the Title II, Part D ARRA planning amount.
The Title I, Part A and Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 ARRA programs are disabled on the ADC form as the deadline to apply for these programs was September 8, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
If you have questions related to the ADC form or the planning amounts, contact the Division of Formula Funding at (512) 463-8525 (512) 463-8525 or email: formulafunds@tea.state.tx.us
If you have questions related to the 2009-2010 NCLB Consolidated Federal ARRA/Stimulus Grant Application, contact the NCLB Program Coordination Division at 512-463-9374 512-463-9374 or email: nclb@tea.state.tx.us

The National Association for State Title I Directors (NASTID) and SETDA Release Two Coordinated Reports
The National Association for State Title I Directors (NASTID) and SETDA released two coordinated reports in a resource entitled, Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education: A Resource Guide Identifying Technology Tools for Schools. This resource will serve as a guide and a glossary of terms around products, models, strategies and research outlining successful technology integration efforts in schools. NASTID and SETDA developed these documents in the hopes of sparking interest among state, district and school leaders to forge partnerships that leverage Title I and Title II D funding to implement instructional technology programs that individualize instruction for all students and provide teachers with the tools, leadership and training they need to succeed. The Report: Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education provides general background information on the power of technology in the classroom including research, rational and examples with data on increased student achievement levels. As an appendix, a Technology Tools Resource Guide provides definitions of key technology components and relevant examples, where appropriate as a glossary for educators. The guide also presents essential implementation and infrastructure considerations that decision makers should think about when implementing technology in schools to help close the achievement gap and best prepare our students for a 21st Century workforce. Technology enhances administrative, teacher and student capabilities and performance, especially for those students who lack access to technology outside of school.
For more information, go to http://www.setda.org/web/guest/titleI.

Department of Information Resources (DIR) Products and Services
The Department of Information Resources (DIR) has contracts in place for many products and services that are important to educators at all levels including interactive whiteboards, computers, over 1,000 software titles, networking equipment and wiring, projectors, multi-function printers/scanners, wireless phones, and media devices. Additionally, DIR can make available a wide selection of IT staffing vendors able to deploy technical staff to support/implement customized projects. For full details, visit http://www.dir.state.tx.us/store/ict/index.htm.

Get Ready for the Annual Speak Up Survey
Speak Up, a national online research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow®, gives students, educators and parents the opportunity to share their views about key educational issues. Any English-speaking district or school can participate in Speak Up free of charge. As a benefit of taking the survey, district and school personnel will have free, online access to their aggregated results with national benchmarks.
The Speak Up findings are summarized and shared with national, state and local policy makers through briefings, presentations, webinars and reports. Since 2004, over 1.5 million students, educators and parents have participated in Speak Up – representing the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder data.
Speak Up 2009 will be open October 12 - December 18, 2009. Visit the Speak Up website to learn more.

Project Red Survey

Project RED, sponsored by Intel, Apple, the Pearson Foundation, Qwest, and eChalk and supported by such organizations as NSBA, AASA, CoSN, ISTE, and SETDA, is an ambitious research project aimed at: improving student achievement by identifying technology models that contribute to achievement gains and evaluating the total financial impact of technology on state budgets.
The Project RED team, whose leadership comes from the One-to-One Institute and the technology experts who wrote the America’s Digital Schools reports, has completed the first step by creating a database of more than 6,000 U.S. public and private schools that have strong technology environments. Now they need your help.
Please spread the word to principals at all technology-rich schools in your area to go to www.ProjectRed.org today and take the survey by October 27th, 2009. Early findings will be provided to the creators of the 2010 National Education Technology Plan and America’s Digital Schools 2010 as well as other federal, state and local leaders. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the survey findings to provide input to local technology plans and create a learning community around technology implementations.

iNACOL's Virtual School Symposium (VSS) for K-12 Educators Comes to Texas, November 15-17 Don't miss the chance to take part in the Virtual School Symposium (VSS) while it's being held in our own state. Sponsored by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), the VSS will be held in Austin on November 15 - 17, 2009. More than 1,200 representatives from national, state, district, private and other virtual school programs are expected to attend this national K-12 online learning conference to learn about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in e-learning, to interact in session presentations, and to gain access to the latest research and best practices reports. The conference also provides e-learning program administrators and virtual school leaders with the opportunity to learn more about the latest online learning software and products for education.
More information about VSS 2009 is available at http://www.virtualschoolsymposium.org/.

30th Annual TCEA Convention and Exposition
The TCEA 30th annual Convention and Exposition “Charting New Waters” will be held at the Austin Convention Center Feb. 8-12, 2010. Nationally-known keynoters, more than 400 vendors in 900 booths, hundreds of concurrent sessions, Web 2.0 lounges, gaming playgrounds (Second Life and geocaching), Bring Your Own Laptop sessions, Model Classroom demonstrations, and so much more will be available to attendees. Early registration will open Sept. 9 on the TCEA website.

Tech Forum Southwest
Brought to you by the team behind T&L magazine and the techlearning.com web site, Tech Forum represents "Tech & Learning in action" on November 6, 2009.
Now in its seventh season, this high-powered, one-day event provides K-12 decision makers with thought-provoking content on the hottest topics of the day in education technology.
Attendees will gain a year's worth of insight and empowerment in one day, network with colleagues and peers in a productive yet casual setting, explore groundbreaking education technology solutions, and learn from renowned K-12 technology experts and innovators.
Please go to http://archive.techlearning.com/events/techforum/southwest09/index.php for more information.

Student Recognition Opportunities

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing recognizes young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. By generating visibility for these young women in their local communities, the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing encourages their continued interest in computing, attracts the attention and support of educational and corporate institutions, and emphasizes at a personal level the importance of women's participation.
Applications open October 1, 2009 for the 2010 national award. Applicants will have until November 15, 2009 to complete their applications.
Awardees are selected for their demonstrated, outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology/computing; solid leadership ability; good academic history; and plans for post-secondary education. For more information, please visit http://www.ncwit.org/work.awards.aspiration.html.
Additionally, there will be affiliate award programs in Texas, Illinois & Florida. These local awards are possible through a generous grant from the Motorola Foundation. The application period is the same and students who apply from these states will be entered into both the local and national competitions.
Einstein Fellowship-Application Now Open

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship is a paid fellowship for K-12 math, science, and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in Washington, DC serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. To be considered for an Einstein Fellowship for the 2010-2011 school year, apply and submit three letters of recommendation online by January 13, 2010. For more information about the Einstein Fellows program visit http://www.einsteinfellows.org or contact Program Manager Kathryn Culbertson at culbertsonk@triangle-coalition.org.

PBS TeacherLine

PBS TeacherLine is a non-profit provider of Texas State Board for Educator Certification approved online professional development learning resources. Research-based, facilitated courses, course licensing, online facilitator training, and Peer and Mentor coaching tools are available. PBS TeacherLine is supported by a USDOE Ready to Teach grant. Visit www.pbs.org/teacherline for more information.


Technology Spotlight: Belton STAR Grant and TCEA Success Story

As part of staff development, twenty STAR Grant participants were sent to the Texas Computer Educator Association (TCEA) conference in February 2009. At TCEA, two STAR Grant participants, Brooke Holt and Amanda Curylo, presented techniques for enhancing literacy skills for kindergarteners using iPods. Brooke credited the STAR Grant with encouraging her in this effort. The well-received presentation inspired more educators from across the state as well as in Belton ISD and Rosebud-Lott ISD to use podcasting as a valid form of technology integration. Her success with this project has prompted two news stories, one of which aired during this grant period. (See news story: http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=233388 ). The high need district, Rosebud-Lott ISD, held a Technology Open House at Rosebud Primary School showcasing the skills and new equipment received through the grant. Parents and community members had an opportunity to view student work, navigate the district's website, see how United Streaming video content engages students in lessons, and experience a 21st Century classroom. A video conference with Educational Adventures in Alaska rounded out a full evening of technology experiences.



Electronic Field Trip

The National Park Foundation and Great Smoky Mountains National Park cordially invite you to join a live Electronic Field Trip “Searching for Life in Great Smoky Mountain National Park” on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. The program has been developed for Grades 5-8 and highlights the topic of biodiversity.
The one-hour program will air two times on November 3, 2009 and will be available for viewing via Webcast, Cable or Satellite: 10 am – 11 am EST and 1 pm – 2 pm EST
Schools and Broadcasters please register via:
https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_328/Default.asp?CT=CT&SA=SNA&FID=35000


National Educational Technology Plan

The U.S. Department of Education is developing a new National Educational Technology Plan to provide a vision for the use of information and communication technologies in transforming American education with technical support from SRI International and a Technical Working Group. We are seeking public participation in the development of the Plan to ensure that it reflects the experience and expertise of the educational community. With this goal in mind, you and your organization are cordially invited to share your input through the new National Educational Technology Plan development website at www.edtechfuture.org < http://www.edtechfuture.org/>. The site is designed to collect public contributions that will be used by a Technical Working Group of education and technology scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from the field that has been organized to support plan development. In particular, the Working Group is seeking written resources, technology tool recommendations, short videos and exemplary cases related to four focus areas in which technology has the potential to transform education:* Learning: Enabling unprecedented access to high-quality learning experiences. * Teaching: Implementing new ways to support those who support learning. * Assessment: Measuring what matters and providing the information that enables continuous improvement processes at all levels of the education system. * Productivity: Redesigning systems and processes to free up education system resources to support learning. You may share your individual input, as well as work with your community and professional networks to generate collective input for submission to the site. In addition to contributing resources ideas, you can rate and discuss others' submissions, with the goal of identifying particularly innovative and relevant resources.